New Beginnings
by Lance Robert Weeler
Summary: Clark is going to be a mommy. Obstacles must be overcome. Truths must be revealed. Characters must Transform. CL complete
1. Reality Check

Title: New Beginnings  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimers: I don't own the show or any of the characters. If I did, they'd be on HBO, where you know I'd be doing naughty things with them.  
  
Summary: With a baby on the way, the Kent's find themselves out of their league. Only one person has the resources to help, but can they place their trust in his hands? Baby Kent's journey into this world brings with it laughter, sadness, and tragedy.  
  
*****  
  
Author's Notes: This is the sequel to "Dreaming of You," which was the sequel of "Despair." If you don't want to bother reading them, here's a few things you should know before reading the summary (spoilers for the previous two stories):  
  
1. It's AU after "Red."  
  
2. Chloe ran off with Whitney and Tina (in Lana's form) and they are gone from Smallville for good.  
  
3. Lana has learned Clark's secret and they are together.  
  
4. Jonathan's cousin, Luke, is a family doctor who has been deemed trustworthy enough to study and give Clark medical care.  
  
5. Oh, and Clark is the one who's...  
  
. .  
  
Oh, and see my profile for the best C/L site on the web.  
  
*****  
  
Chapter 1: Reality Check  
  
*****  
  
After slapping Clark a few times, Lana recoiled, holding her sore hand. She turned to Luke, looking for help. Luke sighed and took out some smelling salts from his cabinet, trying his best to rouse him. No effect. Lana held his head in her hands in concern, while Luke reached behind his desk and pulled out a large aluminium bucket. He filled it with cold water and told Lana to get out of the way. The chill of the freezing water finally did the trick, bringing him back to consciousness. Clark opened his eyelids and looked around. Realizing what just happened wasn't a dream, his eyes grew wide and he started to panic.  
  
"Clark, calm down, it's going to be okay," Lana said reassuringly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Are you insane? I'm having a baby! A baby! A half-alien baby! Me, Clark Kent, pregnant! There has to be some kind of mistake, you're just messing with me, right?" he asked looking over at Luke with desperation in his eyes.  
  
Luke smiled sheepishly. "Well, why don't you see for yourself? You do have x-ray vision," he exclaimed.  
  
Just then, Martha and Jonathan walked in from the waiting room, after hearing all the commotion.  
  
"So, it's true?" asked Martha.  
  
Clark looked at each one in turn before peering down at his stomach as a fearful and nervous look overtook his face. Lana had never seen him so afraid before. Clark stared intently for a few seconds at his belly before he jumped up off the ground and started screaming.  
  
"You! You did this to me!" he said pointing an accusing finger toward Lana. "Don't worry, Clark, I'm on the pill, I can't get pregnant!" he said in his best Lana voice. "We can do it as many times as we want," he continued.  
  
"Clark, how was I supposed to know that you're the female of the species? Don't blame me - if anything's to blame it's that thing you've got down in your pants that you just can't seem to control!" she replied angrily.  
  
Martha, Jonathan, and Luke just stood back and stared incredulously at the two of them, too stunned to say anything.  
  
"That thing? That thing wouldn't be a problem if you didn't keep strutting around in those tight white blouses and low-riders, wiggling your butt like a cat in heat!"  
  
"Oh, come on! You'd jump me if I was wearing sweatpants and had a mud-mask on my face!"  
  
"Well I can't help that I love you so much that I couldn't resist you even if you sprouted out a Medusa head!"  
  
"Really? You love me that much?" she asked softly, her demeanour quickly shifting.  
  
"Yeah, of course," he replied.  
  
There was a short silent pause before Lana launched herself into his arms and they proceeded to make out.  
  
"Ahem," Jonathan coughed. "Could you please stop that, that's how you got into this mess in the first place."  
  
They quickly separated, wary of getting a harsh reprimand from him.  
  
"So what do we do now," Martha asked, looking to Luke for answers.  
  
Luke began to sweat. "Well, you see, I don't really know you guys. We still know next to nothing about Clark's physiology or even how it's possible he got pregnant. I don't think I'd be very effective in monitoring or helping this pregnancy along. There are just too many questions, questions I don't think I'll be able to answer. I'm just one man, and I don't have the proper equipment to study Clark or to help him in any meaningful way."  
  
"I know someone who could help," Clark stated reluctantly.  
  
"Well, thanks for all your help Luke. We should probably get going," said Jonathan.  
  
"Dad, Lex could."  
  
"Well talk about this later, Clark. Don't worry, we'll figure something out."  
  
"Let me know if I can help in any way," Luke offered, as he directed them out of his office.  
  
They marched out onto the street, slowly, with uncertainty. Getting into the truck, they made the long journey back to Smallville in silence. A few minutes into the trip, Lana passed the ultra-sound photo to Clark.  
  
"You might want to hang on to that," she whispered.  
  
Clark stared at the image while holding his abdomen with his hand. He gently touched the spot where the fetus was. A small tear trickled down his Clark's cheek. Lana, seeing this, put an arm around him and pressed her cheek against his shoulder, the both of them looking at their child.  
  
"You'll make a great Mom," she said with a slight smile.  
  
"Shut up," he said, wiping the tear from his face.  
  
"What? Technically you are the mother, so I guess the baby's last name will be Lang."  
  
Clark shook his head at Lana's attempt to cheer him up, but smiled nevertheless.  
  
"Kent. The baby's last name will be Kent," Jonathan interjected from the driver's seat. "End of discussion."  
  
Lana opened her mouth to object, but relented in the end. It was no use arguing with a Kent, as they were notoriously stubborn.  
  
When they arrived home, Jonathan and Martha went into the kitchen to start dinner, while the expecting couple walked into the loft, the whole time in silence. They sat by the window, waiting for the sunset, their hands linked.  
  
"What are we going to do?" asked Lana, reality finally crashing down on her. "We're still in school, not to mention that our baby is going to be different. And how are we going to hide your pregnancy? People are going to ask questions when we pull you out of school, and what about after the baby's born? How do we hide where it came from? Another fake adoption? Can we trust Lex?" she asked, quickly running out of breath.  
  
This time it was Clark's turn to calm her down; he did so by holding her close to him and rubbing her back gently. When Lana caught her breath, she pulled away to look at the sunset. Clark stared at her for a second, as the orange glow highlighting her face. He looked down at her waist with a confused look on his face.  
  
"What's the matter Clark? Clark?"  
  
"Um, where do you think the baby going to come out?"  
  
***** 


	2. Beginnings

Chapter 2: Beginnings  
  
*****  
  
Clark Kent sat in the cafeteria picking at his food with his fork, his mind lost in thought. He looked around him seeing his schoolmates laughing and talking, completely oblivious to his true nature. His left hand slowly slid down around his stomach and rubbed the skin just below the navel.  
  
It had been a month since they had discovered he was with child, and today Clark began to show. The slight curve of his belly was well hidden under his white turtleneck sweater, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hide it forever. Despite all the fear he felt, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of the life growing inside of him. His demeanour was rather pleasant these days, though his classmates figured he was just content with his relationship with Lana - who wouldn't be?  
  
"Hey Clark, are you alright?" asked a voice from behind him.  
  
He quickly withdrew his hand from under his shirt and turned around, recognizing the owner of said voice. It was Maria Vargas, a junior who in Chloe's absence had taken over the school paper. Clark was well aware that her rosy cheeks and bright smile hid her true character. Her gossip column in the Torch quickly grew in prominence since her promotion to editor. He was always very careful around her as she was always digging for dirt on everyone.  
  
"No, I'm fine... just not hungry," he replied, giving a weak smile and pointing to his still half-full plate.  
  
"Right Clark, listen if I were you I wouldn't be rubbing yourself with your hand under your shirt in the middle of a full cafeteria," she mused.  
  
"You're not gonna put that on the front page are you?"  
  
"Well since you are one of my better reporters, I'll let it slide. I'll save that piece of blackmail for a rainy day," she said with a smirk, sitting down beside him. "So where's Lana today?" she asked, trying her best to say Lana's name without any noticeable disdain.  
  
"She's studying in the student lounge. I'd be with her but she said I would be a distraction," he responded, tossing a carrot stick from his plate into his mouth.  
  
While Clark knew she was a gossip-monger, being the dork he was, he was quite ignorant of her crush on him. She straddled the bench and stared straight at him as he picked the carrots off his plate one by one. Maria bit her lip and gave off a slight inaudible sigh as she watched his tongue lick his lips clean of some salad dressing. She glanced at her watch and groaned.  
  
"Listen I've got to go. You'll have the draft on that track meet report for me today right?"  
  
"Yup, no problem. See ya later," he exclaimed, not bothering to look up as she got up to leave.  
  
"Okay. Later, Clark," she said as she walked away pouting. 'Someday, Clark Kent, I'll find an angle to play... and you'll be mine. Mmm...' she thought with delight as she made her way to her office.  
  
*****  
  
After being let out of school, Clark and Lana walked to the Talon, hand-in- hand of course. They stood at the entrance and kissed each other sweetly with longing in their eyes before reluctantly stepping away from each other, their gazes still locked as Lana entered the Talon for her shift. It was then that a car's brakes were heard slamming, making him stumble onto the road. He put his hands up to protect his face as the front bumper of the car stopped right two inches short of his head. Clark swore under his breath as realized he had backed all the way into the middle of the street.  
  
"Clark! Long time no see," Lex smirked from the driver's seat of his Porsche Carrera GT.  
  
"Hey Lex. It has been awhile," Clark replied with a smile, sighing in relief while standing up and dusting himself off.  
  
"Hop in, I'll give you a ride home. That is if you're finished ogling your girlfriend in there and putting your life in danger..."  
  
Clark looked fondly one more time through the Talon's main window before jumping into the passenger side. Lex quickly switched gears and accelerated down the street, tires screeching.  
  
"So, Lex, how's it going?"  
  
"I've never been better. Business is good and my father isn't being quite the pain he used to. I think he's actually stopped plotting to put me back under his control again," he said as the car rolled to a stop at a red- light. "How about you? Anything interesting going on in your life?"  
  
"Um, I'm fine. Same old same old," Clark responded nervously. "Spring Break starts next week."  
  
Just then a thump came from Clark's stomach. He quickly put his hand over it, amazed at the sensation.  
  
"What was that?" Lex asked, his eyebrows lifting in curiosity.  
  
"I didn't hear anything."  
  
"Huh," he exclaimed before shaking his head and turning his attention back onto the road.  
  
Clark's eyes anxiously shifted repeatedly between Lex and his stomach.  
  
*****  
  
Lana stared at her aunt in disbelief from across the counter, a frown on her lips. Nell in turn put on her best pleading look and smiled, hopeful that she would agree to her request. The phone suddenly rang which Lana picked up with force.  
  
"Lana, you won't believe what happened!" Clark cried out excitedly from the other end.  
  
"Not now, Clark, I'm in the middle of something. I'll call you later," she replied sternly before hanging the receiver up.  
  
She returned her attention to the matter at hand. Nell was giving her that look that said 'I raised you, you owe me.'  
  
"It's only a week," her aunt repeated. "If you don't like it there, we'll figure something out."  
  
"Alright," she complied with a deep sigh.  
  
"You're going to love Metropolis!" Nell beamed as she hugged her tight.  
  
Lana just stood there, wondering how Clark was going to take the news.  
  
*****  
  
Clark stared at the phone in shock as the dial tone flooded his ears. Lana had hung up on him. He looked down in sadness and fought off the tears that were threatening to break. He stood up with determination and marched over to the fridge, pulling out a tub of ice cream and a spoon from a drawer. Clark finally made his way to the couch, pulling a quilt over himself and flipping on the TV to Oprah. His chunky monkey consoled him as he cried with one hand on his stomach, searching for the comforting feeling of the baby's kicks. They didn't come. 


	3. Conflict

Chapter 3: Conflict  
  
*****  
  
"Clark, where were you last night? I called like five times," Lana asked with concern as she cornered him at his locker.  
  
"I was out," he replied, doing his best to sound aloof.  
  
"Out? Out where? And why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Like you care," Clark mumbled under his breath before stalking off to his next class.  
  
"Clark, what's gotten into you?"  
  
Her answer stopped him in his tracks. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the side of the hallway.  
  
"What's gotten into me? What's gotten into you? The baby kicked last night and you hung up on me," he replied, whispering in her ear with urgency.  
  
Lana discretely motioned for the door to the supply closet. Clark sighed and followed her inside. As the door closed behind them, Clark crossed his arms and awaited her explanation.  
  
"I'm sorry I hung up on you so quick, but I was having a talk with Nell."  
  
"The baby kicked!! I think that would be a little more important than some talk with your aunt," he replied condescendingly.  
  
"She wants to move to Metropolis!" she shouted out.  
  
"What?!?!" Clark asked incredulously. "You can't move - what about me? What about the baby? You're just gonna move away, just like that?"  
  
"Calm down, I'm not going anywhere," she replied, as she put her hands on his shoulders, trying to calm his nerves. "But - "  
  
"But? No, no buts! You're not leaving! This is your baby too!" Clark exclaimed, pointing to his stomach.  
  
"Quiet down, Clark, someone might hear us!" she said, looking nervously at the door. "Listen, Nell and Dean want me to go with them to Metropolis over Spring Break so I can see what it's like. And yes they'll try to convince me to move with them, but I don't have to. Nell said we could work out a way for me to stay in Smallville if I wanted."  
  
"Spring Break? We were going to spend it together! I can't believe this..." he said with a pout as he slumped down on the ground.  
  
"Hey, come on now. It's only gonna be one week, and we'll have plenty of time to spend together after that." Lana bent down and cradled his head in her arms. "The rest of our lives."  
  
"The rest of our lives?" Clark asked with optimism.  
  
"Of course," she exclaimed with a bright smile as she pressed her forehead against his. "We're having a baby!"  
  
Their lips met briefly before Clark gazed into Lana's reassuring eyes and sighed once again. For the first time that day, he grinned.  
  
*****  
  
Maria's mouth gaped as she pulled her ear from the door. She quickly sped off down the hall, her face displaying a mix of shock and excitement. A few moments later the door opened and out stepped Lana and Clark, with Clark being in a noticeably cheerier mood.  
  
"So, you okay now?"  
  
"Yeah, never better."  
  
Lana reached into her bag, pulled out a scrap of paper and scribbled on it before handing it to him. Clark took it with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"This is the number for Nell's cell phone. If you need anything or just want to talk, call me okay?"  
  
"Why are you giving this to me now?"  
  
"Well, I'm sort of leaving right after school."  
  
"We don't even get the weekend together? God, this sucks," Clark exclaimed, kicking the wall with his foot.  
  
Lana got up on the tips of her toes and brushed her cheek against his, while patting his belly with one hand.  
  
"Don't worry. Daddy will be back before you know it," she whispered with a smirk.  
  
*****  
  
Clark stood at the front steps of the school and waved half-heartedly at Lana as she got into the car with Nell and Dean. She took one last glance at him before taking off her backpack and getting in the backseat. The car pulled away from the curve and down the street as a horde of students continued to pass him, rushing to their respective cars and buses, delighted by the beginning of Spring Break. He let out a groan as he felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Clark! Hey, you look sort of sad, what's the matter?" asked Maria.  
  
"Lana's gonna be in Metropolis for Spring Break," he replied, turning his head toward her, a frown on his face.  
  
"Oh," she exclaimed, giving him a compassionate smile. "You know what you need? Something to take your mind off things... you know, I could use your help at the Torch."  
  
"I don't know, Maria, I think I should just go home..."  
  
"C'mon Clark, it won't take that long, and you're not doing anything right now anyways. Besides, everyone else is gone, you're my only hope," she said with a smirk, batting her eyelashes at him.  
  
"Alright," he answered, his resolve evaporating at the prospect of a long and exasperating whining session.  
  
He turned and walked back into the school, his shoulders slumped as he headed down the hall. Maria followed closely behind, a broad grin plastered on her face. Her eyes gazed down appreciatively at his backside as her cheeks became flush with blood. She fanned herself slightly and undid the top three buttons of her red blouse. Her hands reached out on their own accord, desperately wanting the feel his glutes, but they quickly retreated once she realized what she about to do. A trickle of sweat ran down her neck that she carefully wiped away.  
  
She slammed into him as he came to a stop. He gave her a funny look and motioned to the locked door of the Torch office. Embarrassed, she reached into her pocket and struggled to pick out the right key from her keychain. 'Keep yourself together, Maria. Breathe. Just breathe,' she said to herself as she took a few deep breaths and opened the door. Clark casually strolled in, throwing his backpack down on the floor and glancing around. All the computers were turned off, the desks and tables were cleared off and the chairs neatly stacked in the corner.  
  
"So what exactly did you want me to help you with?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.  
  
Maria calmly took control of the situation, locking the door behind her and turning on the lights. She then dimmed them until only a gentle glow filled the room. She licked her lips and set her sights on him. Clark's eyes widened and he began to back away as Maria encroached into his personal space. His butt hit the conference table as she placed her hands on his chest. He swallowed, his throat suddenly becoming dry.  
  
"I do need your help Clark... just not with the paper," she said in a low voice, her teeth digging into her lower lip as she looked up at him. "There is a torch right here," she said, taking his hand and pressing it against her chest, "that needs your attention."  
  
Clark swallowed again, his mouth still agape as he slid around her and backed away, holding his hands up to keep her at bay.  
  
"Maria, look - I'm flattered, but um, I'm with Lana..."  
  
"And she's not here, is she? She just up and left you all alone. What kind of girlfriend would do that to a man like you?" She mused, advancing on him once again as they began circling each other like predator and prey.  
  
"It's not her fault. I don't blame her, she just has to do this to keep her aunt off her back."  
  
"Or maybe she just wanted to go shopping, content at knowing her little puppy is at home, waiting by the door for his master to come home. She doesn't appreciate you. Come on Clark, I see the way you look at me! I'm right here, and I'm game. No one has to know," she exclaimed with mischievous smile. 


	4. Dinner and a Show

Chapter 4: Dinner and a Show  
  
*****  
  
"No one is ever gonna know because nothing is going to happen between us. Ever," he stated flatly, placing a harsh emphasis on the last word.  
  
He gently shoved her aside and reached out for the door knob but was slapped away by Maria, who brought her face within an inch of his and looked him coldly in the eye.  
  
"I know, Clark."  
  
"Know what? What are you talking about?" he asked in frustration of her constant annoyance.  
  
"The baby,' she replied.  
  
Clark's jaw grew slack and his lower lip trembled. His eyebrows arched in worry as sweat began to trickle down upon them.  
  
"How - how did -"  
  
"A little birdie whispered in my ear. Now if you don't cooperate with me, 'Farmboy Knocks Up Homecoming Queen' is gonna be the headline everyone will be reading when they come back from Spring Break. I'd hate to think what people would think about that." she trailed off, her lips pursed.  
  
Though he was relieved she didn't know that he was the one carrying the baby, the situation was still grave. If people believed Lana was pregnant, it would cause a lot of headaches, not to mention unwanted attention. A deep, cold and hollow feeling penetrated the pit of Clark's stomach. They were powerless against her; she had them at her whim. He swallowed.  
  
"What do want?" he asked nervously, praying it wouldn't be anything that would compromise his morals.  
  
Her eyes softened and she casually flipped her hair to one side while letting out a cute laugh before replying.  
  
"Oh Clark, I'm not going to force myself on you... though the thought had crossed my mind. I'm not going to make you break up with her and be with me instead - I just want a chance. Lana's gone for a week, and you're not going to be terribly busy, so I just thought we could spend some time together, getting to know one another," she said innocently.  
  
"Get to know one another?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Yeah, I haven't been taken out in a very long time for reasons I don't understand... I put out more than Michael Jackson at a Boy Scout meeting. Anyways, you're going to take me out on a date. Several dates, actually," she exclaimed, the gears evidently churning in her head. "Oooh, you can take me to the park, shopping, dinner, we're going to have so much fun!"  
  
Clark groaned silently at the prospect of having to endure her infuriating shrill voice for a whole week, and having to avoid her grabby hands as she would no doubt try futilely to paw at him to no end.  
  
"And before you know it, you'll have fallen in love with me," she mused. "Though I feel bad for Lana you know, you having knocked her up and then leaving her for me. Tell you what, we'll keep the whole thing a secret and adopt her baby so that she won't have to live with the stigma of being a single teenage mom. I'm such a nice person... anyways, you pick me up for dinner tomorrow. I'll call you later with all the details."  
  
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, which he couldn't avoid having stood there silently, still stunned by the description of her delusional fantasy, before she opened the door and skipped down the hall, daydreaming of her future life with Clark Kent. She suddenly paused, turned around and tossed a set of keys to him.  
  
"Oh honey, could you lock up the Torch for me? I'll get the keys back from you tomorrow night. See ya then!" she exclaimed as she continued strolling to her locker while humming 'The Wedding March.'  
  
*****  
  
The sound of a single foot tapping on the hardwood floor echoed out into the hall as the Kents sat down to dinner. Clark fidgeted in his seat nervously as his family quietly ate their meal. He skilfully arranged his mash potatoes into a mountain before placing his fork down and letting out a huge sigh.  
  
"Can I be excused? I'm not very hungry," he requested with some contempt.  
  
"Sit down, and eat your dinner," Jonathan replied sternly.  
  
"But dad - "  
  
"No buts, son. Now I know you're upset, but you have to do whatever Maria wants until we figure something out."  
  
"I can't believe this!"  
  
"Well believe it. She's blackmailing you and we can't do a damn thing about it right now."  
  
"What could we ever do about it? Let's just ask her to stop. I bet she would if we asked nicely," Clark spouted sarcastically.  
  
"Clark, honey, just sit down and finish your dinner. We can talk about this later," said Martha, hoping to at least delay the shouting match.  
  
"I bet Lex could do something," Clark muttered under his breath.  
  
"What was that?" Jonathan asked, standing up and placing his hands firmly on the table.  
  
"You heard me! Maria's father works for Lexcorp."  
  
"So what, are you suggesting we ask Lex to threaten her father's livelihood? We are not stooping down to that level, and there is no way - no way are we letting Lex Luthor get involved in our affairs - especially not now."  
  
"Well I guess I'll just be Maria's slave forever," Clark stated bluntly before getting up, throwing his napkin on the table and stalking off upstairs.  
  
*****  
  
Clark held the receiver a few inches away from his ear as Maria continued to squeal on the other end.  
  
"Okay, okay. I'll pick you up at seven. Bye!" he finally uttered.  
  
Before he hung up, he heard a smacking sound which he surmised was Maria kissing the phone. Exhausted from the conversation, he flopped down onto the couch and stared up at the ceiling wondering just what he had gotten himself into. The only bright part of the day was convincing Maria to move their date out of town as not to spread rumours around of him cheating on Lana while she was away.  
  
Lana.  
  
He looked down at the phone and reached his hand out for it but paused. He wasn't sure it was the best thing to do - telling Lana. Maybe he could take care of the whole thing before she got back, he mused. Clark mulled this over before realizing that he had to be honest with her no matter what, so his hand darted out for the receiver once again. He flinched as it began to ring. Looking up at the clock, he realized it was 10pm, the usual time that Lana would call him most nights. Clark got comfortable on the couch before pressing the talk button. He barely got in a 'hello,' before being accosted by the familiar shrill voice. He cupped the bottom of the phone with his hand tightly and groaned out load. Clark looked up at the clock again and could have sworn he saw the seconds hand begin to move backwards.  
  
***** 


	5. The Art of Seduction

Chapter 5: The Art of Seduction  
  
*****  
  
"I can't believe you're going through with this," Pete exclaimed, shaking his head as Clark attempted to tie his red silk tie. Clark looked at Pete through the mirror and shrugged.  
  
"It's not like I have much a choice."  
  
"So, what's with the suit and tie?"  
  
"She wants to go to La Rochelle, that french place in Yaletown. It's owned by some friends of her family - so the meal is free. Thank God."  
  
"Jeez, dude. Do you need some help with that tie?"  
  
Clark turned around and gave Pete a strange look. His eyes moved downward to his neck and realized the inseam was facing outward.  
  
"Crap! If I don't hurry, I'm going to be late and Maria will be royally pissed.  
  
Pete jumped off the bed and rummaged through his closet before pulling out a blue tie and handing it to him.  
  
"A clip-on?"  
  
*****  
  
"...and all year long I was harping about how the yearbook wasn't going to sell because the cover was this hideous shade of purple. And I was right, sales were down ten percent! So this year, I'm the editor of the yearbook."  
  
Maria took a moment to catch her breath before beaming at her date from across the table. Clark managed a weak smile in return, while panicking inside. He looked left and right for some method of escape but she had him tightly in her deadly grasp.  
  
"Is everything okay, Clark?" Maria asked, placing her hand over his.  
  
Clark quickly pulled her hand back and reached deep into the back of his mind for an out. He abruptly pushed his chair back and stood up.  
  
"I need to go to the bathroom," he finally blurted out before walking quickly away from the table, napkin falling on the floor in his wake.  
  
Maria watched him walk away, noticing how his dress pants accentuated his firm behind. She stifled an eternal moan and turned instead toward her glass for a sip of water to hopefully alleviate the heat she felt deep within. Maria bit down on the ice hard but it did no good. She looked down at her black sequined dress and smiled wryly. Her head poked up and quickly glanced to each side before reaching down under her dress and pulling her underwear off. She casually placed the red thong into her purse and waved down the waiter for some more ice water.  
  
Clark burst through the bathroom door with almost super-human strength and braced himself at the sink. The bathroom attendant gave him a strange look which he promptly ignored. The splash of cold water on his face didn't help lessen the terrible evening he was being forced to endure. His thoughts turned to Lana when he suddenly remembered that he neglected to call and give her the 411 about Maria. He pondered for a moment using the phone at the bar, but was interrupted by a rumbling in his stomach. Clark ran into the stall, keeled over, and proceeded to empty his stomach contents into the porcelain bowl. Seems his morning sickness was not limited to mornings. Just when he thought things couldn't get worse, someone knocked at his stall door.  
  
*****  
  
Still no answer. Lana sighed and pushed the 'end' button for the third time that night. She glanced out the window of the taxi absent-mindedly. Where ever Clark was, he obviously didn't bring the cell phone she had given him. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
*****  
  
Clark cautiously put the toilet seat down as quietly as he could. He hopped onto it and lifted his legs, while bracing himself by pressing his hands against each side of the stall. A silent prayer was made. He wouldn't put it past Maria to follow him into the men's room.  
  
"Clark? Are you alright?" Lex called out.  
  
A gasp of relief escaped his lips as he got up and opened the stall door. Lex, impecably dressed in a dark suit, minus the tie, stared back at him with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"Hey Lex, what are you doing here?" he asked, walking back to the sink to wash the stench out of his mouth.  
  
"Business, as usual. And you? I notice that wasn't Lana out there with you," he exclaimed.  
  
"It's not what you think - " Clark paused and gulped.  
  
"So you're not on a date with that young lady outside?"  
  
Clark moved to explain himself but found he was at a loss for words. Lex continued, "And to a fancy french restaurant too? No offense, but this place is a little pricey for you, no? All the way out here in Yaletown, far away from any prying eyes... this isn't like you Clark. And strangely enough, it looks like you're not enjoying your evening at all - which begs the question, why are you here at all? Something's going on, and I want to know what."  
  
"It's... it's complicated," he stated.  
  
"Try me," Lex smirked, while scrubbing his hands under the faucet.  
  
"I'd rather not, if it's alright with you."  
  
"Well, what's another secret between friends?" he asked with subtle disappointment in his voice.  
  
The bathroom attendant dried his hands and Lex in turn dropped two dollar bills in the tip tray before strolling out. Clark popped a mint into his mouth and regretfully walked back the table. A waiter walked by and placed two plates of tortellini with a few delicate truffle slices on top, garnished with parsley in front of them and then made his way back to the kitchen. Clark paid no heed, as his focus was locked with uncertainty across the room on Lex. His trance was finally snapped by Maria clearing her throat.  
  
"A-hem. C'mon Clark, dig in. This is my favourite dish of all time," she said with a smile. She picked up some with her fork and presented it to him. He grimaced slightly when he saw the look in her eyes, but opened his mouth to receive the food regardless.  
  
"Mmm, this is pretty good. What's in it?" he asked, savouring the rich the flavour of the tortellini.  
  
"Minced duck and foie gras."  
  
"Foie gras? What's that?"  
  
"Fattened goose liver."  
  
Clarks face turned a shade of green as his throat constricted. He dashed back into the bathroom. 


	6. Guilt

Chapter 6: Guilt  
  
*****  
  
For the second that night, the bathroom attendant was startled by the door slamming open with a frantic Clark Kent busting through and heading straight to the stall. 'Damn kids, and their eating disorders!' he thought as he shook his head before another figure burst through the door.  
  
"M'am, you're not supposed to be in here!" he yelled out.  
  
"I need to take care of my Clarky!" she bellowed out in response.  
  
Maria rushed to his aid and did her best to hold Clark's body up as he convulsed over the toilet. She rubbed his back attentatively as he finished expelling the last of his stomach contents.  
  
"I'm so, sorry Clark; I would have warned you about the goose liver if I knew you were squeamish! This is all my fault!" Maria cried hysterically as she guided Clark over to the sink.  
  
"It's not your fault. Just... yeah... tell me about the weird things before I bite into it," Clark said as he washed up, ignorant of her arm which had been wrapped tightly around his back the whole time.  
  
Maria wiped the stray tears from her eyes and started to laugh as she looked into the mirror.  
  
"What?" asked Clark, before he realized his clip-on tie had fallen off.  
  
At the side, the bathroom attendant also started to crack up. The absurdity of an alien being pregnant with his girlfriend's baby, being forced to go on a date with an obsessed seductress, going to a fancy french restaurant with a clip-on tie and throwing up in the men's room twice in one night was too much. Maria held his head on her shoulder as he slumped over chuckled. When the laughter subsided, Clark raised his head and caught Maria's eye.  
  
They looked at each other long enough for him to see the glint in her eye when she looked at him. For just a moment, Clark felt a slight warmth and comfort in her presence. That feeling was quickly replaced with guilt as he broke eye contact.  
  
"Maria..."  
  
The mood was broken. Clark's lips fell silent as he looked down. Maria's hand cupping his crotch.  
  
*****  
  
Lana yawned as she awoke from her long slumber on a large bed in the guest room of Dean's high-rise apartment. Her muscles and joints were still sore. Nell was going all out to convince her Metropolis would make a great home for them, and she couldn't really disagree. They had taken her on a whirlwind tour - shopping, dining, watching great plays, and admiring beautiful works of art in the various galleries and museums around the city. It was certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the quaint atmosphere of Smallville.  
  
But nothing they could show her or buy her could change the fact that her heart and therefore her home was back in that little town where she grew up - with the Talon, and with Clark. She groaned at the wall and silently crossed off another day in her mental calendar... soon she would return to him and their child. At least she would bring home a nice haul, she thought idly, looking at the many shopping bags that comprised her bounty of bribes. A wicked smile passed her lips as she remembered the silky black ensemble she had secretly purchased from a posh lingerie shop. Her thoughts prompted her to pick up the phone and dial.  
  
"Hello Lana," replied a shrill, but unfamiliar voice.  
  
Her mouth went slack when she didn't recognize the female voice on the other end.  
  
"Who is this? Where's Clark?"  
  
"Oh... Clark's um... preoccupied. I'll tell him you called."  
  
A lengthy maniacal laugh followed which was cut short by mysterious woman ended the call.  
  
Lana's eyes bulged and she dialed the number again, but the phone had apparently been turned off. 'What the fuck...' she thought. She punched in Pete's number instead.  
  
"Hello - Petey here."  
  
"Pete? Do you know where Clark is?"  
  
"Oh hey Lana. How's Metropolis? See anything interesting?"  
  
"Fine. No, not really. I really need to talk to Clark."  
  
"He's um... I'm not sure where he is," he replied, his shaky tone betraying his words. He was never a good liar.  
  
"Pete!" she screamed with righteous indignation.  
  
"Whoa, calm down. No need to get all pissy. He didn't tell you yet?"  
  
"Tell me what?" she huffed.  
  
*****  
  
Clark stared at the all the people around him. His eyelids threatened to close as his boredom grew to new heights. He was about to sit down, but an elderly lady grabbed his arm and chastised him.  
  
"Don't sit on that, young man, that's an original Gregory Geiger from the late 19th century! It's worth a fortune!"  
  
He looked down dumbfounded... it looked like a rotting old chair to him.  
  
"I'm sorry, m'am," he said politely before rolling his eyes and walking off in search of some place to rest. Of all the things Maria could be interested in, who knew antiquing would be one of them. He finally found a bench to sit on as he stared at all the junk that had been brought into the convention centre. A huge banner hung from the rafters that read "PBS presents The Antique Roadshow." He wanted to cry.  
  
A piercing scream didn't help as Maria yelped and motioned for Clark to come over. Clark regretfully lifted his form and stalked over towards her. She was next in line to have her one of her items appraised.  
  
"Oh my God isn't this exciting, Clark? Look at all the cameras - I've going to be on TV! I'm going to introduce you as my fiancée, okay?" she said excitedly.  
  
"Um, you know, I kind of have an aversion to cameras. Kinda shy you know? I think I'll just stand back here and let you have your moment."  
  
"Aww, you're so sweet! Letting me have my fifteen minutes of fame!" she exclaimed as she got on her tippy toes and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
Clark managed a weak smile as he pulled away, cursing under his breath, as a cameraman stepped up and asked Maria to place the doll on the pedestal for the filming. A makeup artist came and patted down her face as she was sweating profusely from the exhilaration. The doll itself was quite hideous, though scarily life-like. It reminded Clark of the doll Susan had on 'Seinfeld' that looked like George's mother. The eyes were a frightening shade of black and the hair was outrageously curly. One side of the lip was split, and the nose was chipped.  
  
A middle-aged, short, bookish man with thick glasses, adorned in plaid approached her and whispered in her ear, as the producer gave the cue to start filming.  
  
"Hello there, my name is Aaron Zimmerman, and I'll be your appraiser today," the man said courteously, shaking Maria's hand.  
  
"Hi, my name is Maria - and ooh, I'm so excited. I love this show!"  
  
"That's great Maria, now I understand you have an antique doll you have that you want me to take a look at..."  
  
*****  
  
A/N: How Lana reacted to what Pete told her, and the fate of Maria's doll will be told in the next chapter. *End Chapter Six* 


	7. RAWR!

Chapter 7: RAWR!  
  
*****  
  
A/N: Sorry if the dialogue isn't true to the Antique Roadshow - I've only seen glimpses of it, and I don't know much about antiques or dolls, so I'm just going to BS my way through.  
  
*****  
  
"Um, yes. This was given to me by my grandmother when I was four. She said it was originally one of the dolls in the collection of Elizabeth the second, when she was just a baby," Maria said, checking herself to hold in the squeals that threatened to spill out at the sight of the red light blinking on the camera.  
  
"Oh my," Mr. Zimmerman exclaimed, as he examined the doll. "This is quite exquisite work. The doll itself is very finely made... style looks to be that of the early 20th century, probably some time after the Great War. Wait a minute - you see this tag here? There's only a single marking on it... it's SW," he said before pausing in thought.  
  
"This must have been made Steven Wentworth, who worked out of a shop in Southampton in the late 20s. It was crafted with great care with good pine and a fine coating of varnish was laid down to give it a glossy finish which has worn away over the years."  
  
Maria started to get more and more excited, as the appraiser continued his analysis.  
  
"Now Steven Wentworth was one of the great doll-makers of his time, and some of his work was in fact commissioned specially for the royal family. Unfortunately, he died in a house fire shortly after he became prominent, so his work is extremely rare. Though the doll isn't in the best condition, it's worth well over ten thousand pounds... and if you could prove that it did once belong to the Queen, I could see you getting over double that price if it were to be brought to auction."  
  
Maria's eyes lit up and glazed over. Her mouth formed a perfect 'O' and remained so for quite some time.  
  
"Miss?"  
  
The appraiser waved his hand in front of her fruitlessly as she stayed in her trance, completely awestruck at the news. Her old, ratty doll was worth more than thirty thousand dollars.  
  
"I'm RICH!" she screamed in a piercing screech.  
  
She to jump up and down when quite suddenly the doll was ripped from Mr. Zimmerman's grasp and was promptly decapitated by cruel, calculating hands. The head dropped on the floor and cracked in half, each piece rolling away in the opposite direction briefly before falling flat on the ground. The appraiser looked down at the broken antique with horror.  
  
"BITCH!" Lana howled as she jumped Maria, landing on top of the dumbstruck girl. She began to rain blows down on her victim, but Clark intervened, grabbing her at the waist from behind and pulling her off, her feet swinging in the air as she cursed at him. He gently placed her down a few feet away but was quickly pushed away by Lana once she found her footing. "Stay out of this, Clark! I'll deal with YOU later."  
  
Clark moved to rebut but hesitated when he saw the fire in her eyes and her nostrils flared like an angry bull. He bit his lip and retreated out of fear at the mere sight of her... he had never seen her in such a furious state.  
  
By this time, a crowd had formed around them. They pointed, covered their mouths and gasped at the sight of the shattered doll and its owner lying on the ground after being assaulted. Maria picked herself up and set her sights on her opponent, eyebrows raised menacingly, her stare filled with daggers. Her hands balled into fists as she approached her from behind and pulled tightly on Lana's mane which elicited yet another scream.  
  
Lana stomped on the attacker's foot and elbowed her in the ribs with as much force as she could muster, allowing her to escape from the hold. Taking two quick strides, Lana put her head down and rammed Maria in the stomach with her shoulder, bringing them both down in a heap. They struggled, pulling and tugging at what ever body parts they could grab a hold of as they rolled along the ground, the crowd giving way to their dispute. Guards finally came from the exits but at first glance of the two women struggling on the floor, they just smiled and looked on, one even cheering the catfight on.  
  
Lana hit her head on a pedestal sending a vase to the ground, the owner cried in disbelief, seeing his priceless heirloom crashing down. Maria took the opportunity to get off the floor and untangle herself from Lana. A thin trail of blood ran down from her nose to her upper lip which she casually wiped with her sleeve. Her hair was disheveled and her breath was ragged. She stood there arms out ready to take her on.  
  
"You little slut. Had enough?" she shouted.  
  
"Not until I wipe the floor with you, skank!" came her seething reply.  
  
Maria hated being called a skank. She charged at Lana, who gracefully stepped out of harm's way while deftly grabbing onto her shirt as she passed. Using her own momentum against her, Lana propelled her opponent into the chair which Clark earlier had been reprimanded for sitting on. Maria stumbled into it and the dismal excuse for a chair splintered under her weight. The old lady fainted and was caught by two bystanders before she could hit the ground.  
  
In a flash, Lana was over her, her hands wrapped around her neck, strangling her as she futilely gripped Lana's wrists in panic.  
  
"He's mine you two dollar ho, and don't you forget it!"  
  
Out of desperation, she dug her nails into her arms. Lana recoiled, and Maria gasped for breath. Lana, seeing her wounds were deep, became more infuriated and rushed at her adversary, who was kneeling down, still recovering. In an amazing display of reflexes, she caught Lana's foot as it came out to strike her and pulled her down in the middle of the remains of the broken chair. They were both bleeding and received many splinters, but neither was willing to stop their quarrelling.  
  
"I treat Clark much better than you ever did! And my hair has much more volume than yours, missy," Maria proclaimed with attitude.  
  
Lana touched her hair defensively, incensed by her remarks.  
  
"How dare you? I just got my hair done yesterday!"  
  
"Well you should've gotten your money back, cuz you look like shit!"  
  
"Shit? Take a look in the mirror, girl, with that whore makeup you got on."  
  
"Fashion reject!"  
  
"Fat-ass!!"  
  
They both got up and circled each other, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Lana feigned a punch which Maria tried to dodge, leaving her prone to attack. She struck Maria with a sharp strike to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her and making her fall to her knees. She staggered about helplessly until Lana bent down, lifted her chin and looked her dead in the eye.  
  
"Clark is mine," she stated bluntly before viciously delivering the deciding blow with the back of her hand. Blood and spit flew from Maria's mouth as she struck the ground with a resounding thud.  
  
The guards finally had enough and two of them restrained Lana while the other checked to see if Maria was okay. Clark walked toward them, a guilty look on his face. 'This was all my fault,' he thought.  
  
"Smile ladies, you're on PBS!" shouted the producer.  
  
The two girls and Clark looked over to their left and sure enough, the cameraman had caught the entire scuffle.  
  
Maria seized her moment and when the camera panned down to the floor where she lay bloodied and beaten, she screamed, "She's pregnant with his baby!" and pointed at Clark and Lana with an accusing finger.  
  
The camera swiftly turned to a shell-shocked Clark as the crowd gasped in revelation and began whispering amongst themselves.  
  
***** 


	8. Big Rhonda And The Crackhead

Chapter 8: Big Rhonda and the Crackhead  
  
*****  
  
Jen paced the cell her eyes erratically moving back and forth as she paced the cage. A loud clank caught her attention and she quickly rushed over the bars and squinted. Sergeant Williams gripped the arm of a teenage girl with a fat lip and a limp as he led her to Jen's cell.  
  
"Sarge! Sarge! Can I ask you somethin?" she asked inquisitively.  
  
"No, Jen. For the last time I don't have any crack. Now shut your pie hole!"  
  
Dismayed, Jen growled and sat down on the bench, eyeing the newcomer closely from a distance. She looked frazzled and grumpy - like she had snapped. She inched toward the corner cautiously as the cell door was opened and Sergeant Williams undid the cuffs.  
  
"Lana Lang - this is Jen Holden. Don't worry, she's harmless," the officer said, relinquishing the hold on his prisoner.  
  
Lana took a deep breath and sat down on the bench, wary of her cellmate. The cell door was slammed shut as Jen eyed her suspiciously. After careful observation, she concluded the newcomer wasn't a threat. During her long history of drug abuse, Jen had seen much worse. At closer inspection, she realized Lana was just a kid who got into a fight and probably never saw the inside of prison cell. Still she couldn't be too certain. She scratched her neck and tilted her head in Lana's direction.  
  
"Psst! Hey! Hey!" She whispered. "Got any crack?" She continued with a desperate gleam in her eye.  
  
Lana looked back at her, her eyes widened, her jaw slack. Jen continued scratching her neck and her hair and every other body part as she nervously bounced up and down on her seat. She reminded Lana of Mallory, a girl with attention deficit disorder she used to go to school with until one day when Mallory overdosed on Ritalin.  
  
"Um. no, sorry, fresh out," she finally responded limply.  
  
"Damn! I swear to God, I'm gonna kill someone if I don't get some crack soon." she trailed off as she bit her lip and started to shiver.  
  
Lana took in her appearance as she would probably never see a crackhead ever again. Her face was pockmarked and was heavily wrinkled. Her hair, a stringy dirty blonde which lay limply on her shoulders and her fingernails were unkept. She was on the thin side - Lana could see the silhouette of ribs on what flesh was exposed of her chest. They were a prominent shade of red, obviously from her frequent scratching habit. She briefly considered that Jen might have fleas and scooted away from her.  
  
"So, what you in for, Lana Lang? Crack? Are you going to the shit house? Ever been? It's not so bad. you got to remember to punk some bitch out on the first day though - or you'll be munchin' carpet for the rest of your sentence."  
  
"I'm a minor."  
  
"Oh, it doesn't matter. Even in juvi, you've got to show 'em who's the boss, ya know? Yeah, it wasn't that long ago that I was in there. This one time in juvi, Big Rhonda came up to me in the shower and tapped on me on the shoulder."  
  
"Hold on a sec - how old are you?"  
  
"Twenty two."  
  
"Twenty two?" Lana gasped. She looked like she was in her thirties at least.  
  
"Okay, now where was I. got any crack on you? Oh wait, I asked you that already. Oh right, Big Rhonda. So anyway, Big Rhonda tapped me on the shoulder, and let me tell you - when Big Rhonda taps you on the shoulder or anywhere else for that matter - you turn around quick or the next thing you know, you're being broom-handled!"  
  
Before she could continue her cute anecdote, the clank of metal was heard once again and Clark strolled in, a guard standing by the door looking over them. Lana ran to the bars relieved, not only at seeing him, but receiving the chance to escape from Jen's topic of conversation. She kissed him and they linked their hands together between the bars.  
  
"Are you okay, Lana? Don't worry; I'm going to get you out of here as soon as I can."  
  
"How's Maria - is she dead?" she asked, realizing too late that she sounded hopeful.  
  
"No, she's in the hospital; I don't know how bad it is. I'm going to call Lex and see if he might be able to help us out. Just hold on for a little longer and you'll be out of here soon, okay?"  
  
"Okay, Clark. Go do what you have to do."  
  
He looked warmly at Lana and began to pull away, but a hand reached out and grabbed his arm, tugging it with tenacity.  
  
Jen gave a crooked smile to him and asked with a cockney accent, "Kind sir, do you think you could spare some crack for a poor girl down on her luck?"  
  
Clark raised his eyebrows and looked at Lana. She shrugged.  
  
*****  
  
Lex wiped the sweat off his brow as he showed up at the police station with his associate. Heads turned toward them as the pair walked with Sergeant Williams to lockup. The grizzled police force veteran just shook his head the two best dressed men to ever enter the station kept pace with him, the staccato of their Gucci shoes ringing off the dingy floor. Clark was inside comforting Lana as the two were let in.  
  
"Sir, could you step outside, we can't let more than two visitors in at once," Williams ordered bluntly. "You two have ten minutes."  
  
Clark gave a quick smile to Lex for his help and walked out of the holding area, doing a double take as he recognized Lex's companion. Lana let out a full grin as she saw the new arrivals.  
  
"Tom, don't go! Tom?" Jen cried out from beside Lana.  
  
"For crying out loud, he's not Tom Welling - doesn't look a thing like him!" she replied. "Now shut up, I've got business to discuss here."  
  
Jen sulked back into the corner and began picking at the imaginary scabs on her face.  
  
"Hey, Lana, you doing okay? I got you the best lawyer I could find - this is my associate, Johnnie Cochrane," Lex said triumphantly.  
  
"Good evening, Ms. Lang," he said, shaking her hand. "Let me tell you straight off the bat that this is an absolute abomination of your civil rights! Throwing a minor into lockdown with the scum of the earth," he exclaimed, gesturing toward her cellmate.  
  
"Hey!" Jen shouted in protest.  
  
"It's a travesty, and I will not stand here and do nothing while they hold you in these inhumane conditions. Now you might want to know the full list of charges brought against you. They are: disturbing the peace, assault with intent to injure and willful destruction of private property."  
  
"What? I'm in deep shit aren't I?" she asked.  
  
"Oh don't be silly, Ms. Lang. Maria Vargas has been placed in a mental institution by her parents after they discovered a shrine to Mr. Kent in her closet, as well as altar to Satan himself. They also found pictures of you which she had apparently stabbed repeatedly and written curses all over. Thus, the assault charge was dropped. Destruction of private property was also dropped as Mr. Luthor here has offered to compensate all their loses. Frankly I don't agree with his decision, I bet you sustained some injuries falling into those pieces. If I had it my way I would have sued PBS for your injuries, not only caused by those antiques, but by the inadequate security! They should have stopped your altercation well before it got out of hand - we have them on camera cheering the two of you on during your little deathmatch for heaven's sake. Absolutely appalling, atrocious and disgusting! All that leaves is disturbing the peace which is a misdemeanor meaning you'll only have to do community service. Everything's going to be fine, Ms. Lang, now I'm going to post bail for you and you can get your things and go."  
  
Lana thanked Cochrane before he got up and walked confidently out of the holding area, giving vicious looks to everyone who passed him.  
  
"What injustice is this? Holding a teenage girl in a jail cell? I want to talk to the station chief! The chief of police! The mayor! The governor! The president! What are you looking at, son? Never seen a black man walk out of a prison cell without handcuffs on? That's right you better look away. I'll get the NAACP, the UN, Amnesty International, you name it - all over here faster than transvestite prostitute can get his makeup on. You - get me some coffee," he shouted at various officers as he went.  
  
"Lex - I can't even begin to thank you enough for all of this." Lana began.  
  
"Hey - anything to help you guys out. Though I did go through a lot of trouble getting this mess sorted out so the least you could do is tell me what the hell is going on. Now I know Clark would never cheat on you, and I've never seen you get that angry in my life. Something's afoot and I want to know what. I'm tired of being out of the loop."  
  
All Lana could do was stare at the light glistening off his head as she tried to come up with a response. Williams walked in and unlocked the cell as Clark followed from behind.  
  
"Good news Ms. Lang, you can get out of here now."  
  
"Tom?" Jen asked from the corner.  
  
"No, not Tom. Clark. C-L-A-R-K," he said slowly.  
  
"Tom? Would you happen to have any crack?"  
  
*****  
  
End Chapter.  
  
A/N: I borrowed Dave Chappelle's crackhead character and toned it down a bit to create Jen. If you ever catch his show on Comedy Central, check it out - you'll piss your pants. 


	9. Circus Confessions

Chapter 9: Circus Confessions  
  
*****  
  
Clark Kent silently sat at the wheel of his red pick-up truck as a slight drizzle sprayed the windshield. His denim-clad form was still, his mind lost in thought. The engine had been running for a good ten minutes before his passenger finally spoke up.  
  
"So are you ready to do this or what?" Lana asked.  
  
Clark hesitated.  
  
"I'm still not sure this is the right thing to do... this could be end up to be the best thing I've ever done - or the one thing I'll most regret."  
  
"You trust him, don't you? He's always been there for you even though he's known you have secrets... sort of like me, remember?" Lana exclaimed.  
  
He gave a small smile and took a deep breath before unlocking the driver side door. Lana did the same on the passenger side and was about to exit but his hand reached out and stopped her.  
  
"I think you should stay here. This is something I should probably do alone."  
  
Lana nodded and watched the man she loved solemnly walk up to the gate and look into the security camera. Shortly thereafter, the mechanized gates slowly pulled back to allow him entry. Clark walked up the long winding path to the front door. The pros and cons passed through his thoughts once again. Would he accept it? Would he be angry? Would he be shocked? Probably all of the above, he thought. By the time he reached the door his clothes were dampened by the morning mist. For the first time visiting Luthor Manor, Lex greeted him at the door himself, attired in a black turtleneck and slacks.  
  
"You're late. C'mon, it's cold out here," he stated, ushering his visitor inside.  
  
Clark took in the surroundings, trying to occupy his thoughts. As he passed through the main foyer he just now realized how menacing the decor was. The walls were built with large, cold, stone blocks. The hall was guarded on each side by suits of armor, armed with halberds. Gargoyles sat on the bottom of the stair railings. He felt as if he was walking to his own execution.  
  
Lex nodded to his assistant as they reached his office. She nodded back, and pressed two buttons on her computer before disconnected the phone line.  
  
"I'll be back after lunch, Mr. Luthor," she said before briskly walking away.  
  
Clark panicked as four security guards came up the stairs but they made no move toward him and instead stood at attention, awaiting Lex's orders.  
  
"I don't want to be disturbed, understand?" Lex commanded.  
  
They nodded, paired up, and took up positions at each end of the hallway.  
  
Clark stepped in to the office, Lex followed, shutting the door behind them. He turned off his beeper and cell phone as he walked to his desk and perched himself on the edge. Clark took off his jean jacket and laid it on the back of his chair as he took another deep breath.  
  
"Whoa, Clark, getting a little tubby there aren't you?" Lex asked, pointing at the slight curve on Clark's tight-fitting tee. Clark looked down at his belly and frowned. "Sorry, let's get back to the matter at hand. I've cleared my schedule, I'm here and waiting for anything you have to say."  
  
Lex Luthor could not believe what he witnessed next.  
  
Clark Kent began crying his eyes out.  
  
"Christ, Clark, I'm sorry! You're not fat! Really!" he said apologetically, coming down off his desk and laying a hand on his shoulder in comfort.  
  
Lex shifted nervously as he patted Clark's shoulder, having no experience calming down a bawling, almost full-grown teenager before.  
  
"Why is this so hard?!" Clark sniffled, clutching his head in his hands. "I just wanted to tell you the truth... but I just... I can't!"  
  
His face flushed a shade of red and grew warm from the blood rushing to his head. Lex grabbed some tissue from his desk and offered it to Clark, who grabbed it and began blowing his nose, the tears still cascading down.  
  
"Clark, I've never seen you like this, this must be big. Listen, whatever it is I promise you, you'll feel better once you tell me."  
  
He grabbed the soiled tissue from Clark's hands and deposited it in the waste paper bin with two fingers before grabbing the entire box and handing it to him.  
  
"Could you wait outside while I calm down a bit please?" Clark managed to get out between sobs.  
  
"Sure," Lex replied, giving him one last concerned look before exiting the office.  
  
Clark looked up at the ceiling trying to breath. 'You can do this Clark, you can tell him. You just have to figure out a subtle way...' he thought. After going through half the box of Kleenex he stood up and walked to the open door, motioning for Lex to return. He sat in a brown leather chair as Clark paced and looked for the right words.  
  
"I've been lying to you for sometime now. What I'm going to tell you, you have to swear never leaves this room."  
  
"Of course. Does Lana know?"  
  
"My parents, Pete and Lana know the truth. But they found out on their own - you'll be the first person I've ever told, voluntarily. Now this might sound strange at first, but just bare with me okay?"  
  
That made Lex smile as we waited in quiet anticipation of the unveiling of the truth that he sought for so long.  
  
"I've been lying to you from the beginning. I did save you that day on the bridge. I managed to get the door off and pull you out."  
  
Lex's eyes flashed in realization, but he remained silent, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"I'll try to explain the best way I can how I was able to do that. It all comes down to where I come from. I know where I was born. I know who my parents were."  
  
Clark stopped for a moment before his eyes lit up as an idea popped into his head.  
  
"I was born in France... to sideshow freaks."  
  
"France? Sideshow freaks?" Lex asked, his face apparently blanked by confusion.  
  
"I said bare with me. So... you see, as a small child, I'm not sure how, but I got seperated from my parents. I wound up in a travelling circus. When the circus came to Smallville, the wagon collapsed in a field during the meteor shower. That's where the Kents found me that day."  
  
"Um, sorry, Clark, but this all seems to hard to believe. What happened to the circus people? They just abandoned you?"  
  
The hopelessness of his analogy became apparent to him and he collapsed on his knees, surrendering to his emotions.  
  
"Don't you see, Lex! There are no circus people!" he shouted. "Replace France with 'another planet,' wagon with 'spaceship' and sideshow freaks with 'aliens' and that's you're answer!"  
  
Lex jumped up out of his seat as his eyes popped open, his chair almost falling on its side. Clark wiped the sweat off his brow and looked up at him.  
  
"I knew there was more to Clark Kent than what you see! I always thought you were just some kind of a meteor freak... but an alien? You don't look any different..." he said, approaching him cautiously, eyeing his form with wonder.  
  
"You're not freaked out?" Clark asked warily.  
  
"Are you kidding? I'm totally freaked out," he replied still looking him over. "But I mean... you're still the Clark Kent I know, right? You know, the one who peeps at his neighbour's window with his telescope and delivers produce and baked goods for his mother?"  
  
Clark blushed and laughed at the same time. Lex came up and poked him awkwardly with his finger.  
  
"So wait... how did you get me out of the car that day on the bridge?"  
  
"Maybe I should just show you. How much does that weigh?" he asked, pointing at Lex's large bookshelf in the corner.  
  
"Clark, that's pure mahogany. It took eight guys to bring that in here."  
  
Clark gripped near the bottom of the base and lifted the bookshelf clear over his head. Lex stood in a daze. 


	10. Tempus Fugit

Chapter 10: Tempus Fugit  
  
*****  
  
A man sat on his comfortable leather chair with brandy in hand as a conceited smile crossed his lips. Normally he would not partake in alcohol this early in the day but this was after all, a special occasion. He quietly sipped his drink and leaned against the back of the chair. His eyes were closed as the sounds and words flowed through his earphones and were processed by his wily mind.  
  
"Alien."  
  
"X-ray vision."  
  
"Heat vision."  
  
"Fast."  
  
"Strong."  
  
"One weakness."  
  
The gears turned around inside his head, as the seeds of numerous strategies were planted. He continued sipping his drink throughout the morning.  
  
*****  
  
To say that Clark's confession to Lex went smoothly was an understatement. Not only was he accepting of the truth, the two became closer friends than before after all the lies were torn down between them. Lex in reciprocation admitted to having investigated Clark, all be it briefly, but all was forgiven in the end. The young Luthor also helped Clark with his pregnancy, finding a retired scientist and doctor who he thought he could trust.  
  
Doctor Bernard Klein was astonished to be offered the opportunity of a lifetime as a scientist. Having access to a full-blooded alien being - pregnant no less was a miraculous twist of fate. Dr. Klein had dedicated his life to science, won a Nobel prize in Medicine and wrote many influential books and research papers, but he would have gladly traded away all his accomplishments just to have a look at Clark Kent. He was also an honourable man and swore on his life to keep their secret while unlocking the mysterious of Clark's anatomy as well as finding a way to care for his unborn baby.  
  
Though wary of having someone poke and prod him, Clark was actually excited about learning more about himself. They discovered how fast and strong he really was, the magnitude and range of his heat/x-ray vision, and just how susceptible he was to green kryptonite. He found that placing kryptonite at a set distance away from his patient, Dr. Klein could take blood and tissue samples for research. While they discovered many things about Clark's anatomy, they still had no idea how long the gestation period would be, nor how the baby would escape the womb.  
  
In the meantime, Clark's belly grew to monstrous sizes. If it was Christmas time, he could easily put on a Santa suit and walk down the streets of Smallville without any trouble. Instead, he stayed out of sight, usually at his house, in the loft or at Lex's, always out of sight from prying eyes. At the end of the school year, the Kent's told their friends and acquaintances that Clark was going to hockey camp for a month. They got puzzled responses as there were no hockey teams or even an ice rink in a fifty mile radius of Smallville, but bought it nevertheless. After the month was up, they then concocted a better story - that he contracted mono. Thereafter, no one asked any more invasive questions about Clark's whereabouts.  
  
*****  
  
Five months after Clark's revelation, Lex received a visitor. Lionel Luthor walked brazenly into his office, closed the door, and made himself at home, his cane by side. Though Lex admired how his father had coped and adjusted to life as a blind man, he still held nothing but contempt and suspicion whenever he showed his face at Luthor Manor.  
  
"To what do I owe this unannounced visit?" Lex asked, eyeing his father curiously.  
  
Lionel, smug as ever, laughed a deep bellow and smiled at his son's demeanour.  
  
"Come, Lex, is that anyway to great your father. I simply came to talk, to see how you were doing. How's business? Lexcorp still afloat?"  
  
"Business is great, dad. Profits are up, publicity has all been good, and the only thing ruining my day is your presence in my favourite chair. Now why don't we cut the chit-chat short and you tell me why you're really here."  
  
"To the point, Lex. Touché. I came to make a business proposal to you is all. I feel if we worked together, my vast resources could help you take advantage of your greatest asset." he stated calmly, getting up and helping himself to the bar and pouring a scotch on the rocks.  
  
"What asset is that?"  
  
"Why, Clark Kent of course." He paused and sipped his drink. "Lex, I know you're not exactly a billionaire anymore, but you shouldn't be skimping on the scotch. I'm sure your colleagues would appreciate something a bit pricier, a bit more smooth, don't you agree?"  
  
Lex's eyes narrowed at his father, his pupils fiery from his arrogance.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," he retorted.  
  
"This scotch, son, it's weak - it would barely pass as moon-shine. Oh wait, I don't suppose you mean Clark Kent, do you? Come on, Lex. I'm no fool. I know all about him, his origins, his abilities and the fact that you've been hiding him all to yourself. The greatest scientific find in history and you have playing doctor with that professor Klein fellow."  
  
Lex seethed in rage and grabbed his father by the collar.  
  
"I don't know what you think you know, but you're wrong. There's nothing more to Clark Kent - "  
  
"Than meets the eye, Lex? Lex, you have learned to be more careful by now. Your office is bugged - has been for months. Your little conversations have been most intriguing." Lex's grip tightened. "Now if you don't put me down, your boy is going to be on the front page of the Daily Planet tomorrow morning."  
  
Lex hesitated but loosened his grip on Lionel and pushed him back into his chair with disgust.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Want? Lex, all I want is to help you exploit this amazing opportunity. Do you have any idea how much potential profit is sitting there untapped in that 'farm boy'?"  
  
"He's a person, dad, not something for you to exploit."  
  
"Lex, you don't actually care for him do you? He's not a person, he's an alien - in fact I don't think according to the Bill of Rights or the U.N. that he has any rights at all. You could do with him as you wish, Lex. And if you're not willing to take advantage of the prize, I certainly will."  
  
With that, Lionel Luthor brushed off his lapels, smoothed out his coat and turned around. He grinned wide as he walked out of Lex's office and down the hall. Lex groaned and threw a vase at the door frame, cursing so loudly his assistant jumped back out of her seat. He reached down for an aspirin as he felt a headache come over him, but as his hand touched the bottle, his pager went off.  
  
It read:  
  
"911 * Labour??? * Klein." 


	11. The Fan Spineth, The Shit Prepareth

Chapter 11: The Fan Spineth, the Shit Prepareth  
  
*****  
  
Lex rushed down the stairs and through three locked doors. After a retinal and fingerprint scan, a large metallic door slid open leading him into the research lab. Clark lay sweating profusely in a bed, thrashing about. Dr. Klein hovered above him, taking his vitals and trying to come to grips with the situation.  
  
"What's going on? Clark, are you okay?" He asked with fret.  
  
"I don't know Lex; this baby is kicking like crazy!" Clark yelled out. He seized the edge of the bed and closed his eyes.  
  
"Bernard, what's going on? Is he really in labour?"  
  
"Lex, I can't even begin to guess. The baby is getting more and more active and if she's as strong as her father I'm worried she might cause some internal damage. I think we should go through with the Caesarian like we planned."  
  
"Now? But, how do we know she's ready?? What if we cut her out and she's not fully gestated? Clark what do you think?"  
  
"Ughhhh..." he moaned.  
  
Bernard put his hand over his head. "He's burning up. If we're going to do this, we need to do it soon!"  
  
"Is that your expert opinion?"  
  
"If you can call me an expert, yes... that's what my gut is telling me," Dr. Klein replied, his voice trembling faintly.  
  
"Prep him for surgery. But don't do anything until the rest of the Kents get here. I don't think this decision is ours to make," Lex sighed, his breath ragged.  
  
Dr. Klein nodded and prepared to operate, taking out his equipment and measuring the amount of kryptonite he would need for the procedure.  
  
Lex excused himself to the restroom. He grasped the edge of the sink and fought himself for a long minute before he began to sob quietly. No matter what he did, his father was always behind him, taunting him, testing him, transforming him. When the tears ceased, his despair was displaced by something else. Lex splashed cold water on his face and calmly looked in the mirror at his still form. His pupils dilated, his glare turned to ice. He recognized the image staring back at him - eye of the tiger. The memory flashed across his mind.  
  
"Eye of the tiger, Lex, you have to be aggressive - or your enemies will never respect nor fear you. Look at you in that mirror; you look like someone who the bigger children pick on. Pathetic, Lex. Yes, that's it, you're angry - anger is good. Harness it, control it, and when you see your opponent begin to tremble, then you know you've already won."  
  
The Kents didn't need Lionel on top of all their current problems. Lex thought of all the times Clark had been there for him and his friends, laying his life on the line at whatever cost to protect the ones he loved. Now he was in the need of help - lying their helplessly on the bed. He was in danger, his baby was in danger. It would only be a matter of time before Lionel had his way - he always did. It was about time Lex returned the favour.  
  
*****  
  
"Doctor, how is he?" Jonathan asked as the four rushed into the lab.  
  
Martha and Lana placed a hand on each of his shoulders sympathetically as Pete looked on with apprehension. Clark continued to writhe.  
  
"The baby is getting pretty violent in there. I think she wants out. I want to do the c-section now, but I need your consent."  
  
The four looked at each other, but ultimately three pairs of eyes focused on Lana.  
  
"It's your baby, Lana. It's your decision," Dr. Klein stated bluntly. "I don't think Clark is going to make it unless we get the baby out soon."  
  
Lana swallowed and turned back to Clark, squirming on the bed and mumbling unintelligibly. She looked on with uncertainty, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.  
  
*****  
  
As Lex came out he saw the group surrounding Clark behind the glass window. He looked briefly at the sight and stalked off with resolve, determined to extradite Clark from peril. He quietly slipping out of the lab, out the doors, and quickly the nearest intercom.  
  
"Foley - has my father left the premises yet?" he asked his chief of security.  
  
"No, sir, he's about to though, his car is approaching the gate."  
  
"Good, stop him. I need to discuss one last thing with him."  
  
"Sure thing, Mr. Luthor."  
  
He sprinted out the nearest exit and down the long driveway toward his father's limo.  
  
"What is this, Lex? I've got important meetings to get to," he exclaimed after rolling down the tinted window.  
  
He let himself into the car and nudged his father over. When the door was shut, Lex pushed two buttons, raising both the window and the partition between the driver and themselves.  
  
"You aren't going anywhere near Clark Kent, dad. I won't let you!" he exclaimed briskly with determination.  
  
"Lex! I'm impressed. I thought you would just sit there, wallow and accept defeat but you've shown me great resilience coming here like this. You truly are a chip off the old block." Lionel grinned. "Unfortunately your technique needs some refining. Running out here like that makes just makes you look desperate. Remember Lex, you can't let your opponent see just how weak your position is."  
  
"You're not listening, dad. You go near Clark Kent and you'll - you'll be sorry," he exclaimed, his eyes piercing, his jaw tensed.  
  
"I already am sorry. Sorry that my son doesn't know when the Lord O' Mighty drops a giant diamond on a silver platter right in front of him. That boy is going to change the world, Lex, and I intend to be the one who takes the credit. Now unless you've got something more compelling to convince me otherwise - not that your urgent pleading isn't doing a well enough job, my plans will remain unchanged."  
  
Lex's nostrils snorted as he let himself out, shutting door with as much force as he could muster.  
  
"Don't take it personally, Lex, it's just business. And you still have a window of opportunity. For the moment he is in your possession... I can't say for how long though."  
  
The gate opened and Lex watched as the car pulled away, the shadow behind it quickly vanishing as the clouds ventured under the sun and the sky became overcast.  
  
*****  
  
She lowered herself to Clark's lips and gave him a brief kiss, caressing his cheek. She raised her head and looked at Dr. Klein. She nodded, her mouth too dry to speak.  
  
***** 


	12. Goodbye to You

Chapter 12: Goodbye To You  
  
*****  
  
Martha, Jonathan and Pete stood outside the window pane staring inside intently as the two prepared for surgery. Lana calmly put on her face mask and nodded to Dr. Klein's instructions as he spoke. When the good doctor asked one of them to assist him, she immediately volunteered. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be the one to be there for him, even if it meant watching the man she loved be cut open. Lana pulled the green kryptonite out of the lead cabinet and gently placed them on the markers that Dr. Klein had made out of chalk on the floor. She grimaced when she saw Clark's reaction - his vitals dropped slightly. Dr. Klein brought his cart next to the patient as Lana scrubbed up. Jonathan and Pete watched on in silence, but Martha buried her face in her husband's chest and began to shake. Mr. Kent stroked her hair and shoulder and gently rocked her against him.  
  
Just as the doctor injected Clark with an epidural, Lex walked through the door and joined them, his face slightly flushed  
  
"How is it going?" he asked.  
  
"They're just about to start," Pete replied, not once taking his eyes off his Clark.  
  
Lex bit his lip and looked nervously inside. The kryptonite made him uneasy but it was the only way they could get through Clark's skin. He prayed silently as the Dr. Klein reached for the scalpel. Just as the blade was about to make contact, Clark broke out of his fugue, his head snapping up as his body pulled into an upright position.  
  
"Clark? Clark? Can you hear me?" Lana asked.  
  
Clark looked toward his left and stared into the wall, his breathing returning to normal. "It's calling me..." he whispered.  
  
Dr. Klein and Lana looked at each other, puzzled for a moment before Clark shot straight through the wall. The mansion shook as Clark burst through wall after wall, leaving a trail of large holes and debris in his wake. Lana quickly scrambled off the floor and looked through, just in time to see him disappear into the far horizon.  
  
"CLARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" she screamed.  
  
"What the hell was that??" Lex asked incredulously as the group entered the operating room and stared at where Clark had made his conspicuous exit. All their mouths were agape until Lana spoke.  
  
"He said it was calling to him..."  
  
"What was calling to him?!?" Martha shouted in hysterics.  
  
They all looked at each in confusion until Jonathan realized where he had gone. His trail pointed straight back toward the farm.  
  
"The ship..."  
  
*****  
  
They piled into two of Lex's sports cars, Lex at the helm of one, Pete, the other, as they raced down the road toward the Kents' farmhouse. The sun had set but on the horizon, a white glowing could be seen blinking in the distance. The wind picked up and the earth began to shake. When they finally arrived, they found Clark sprawled on the ground where the cellar once stood. The structure had been blown apart, the ship now floating above what was left, an almost blinding light being emitted in every direction. They exited the cars and walked towards it but the wind it was generating kept them at bay. Instead they took cover behind the cars and watched on helplessly as the craft pointed itself toward Clark.  
  
"What's happening? I can't see!" Martha yelled.  
  
They all tried to peer over the car but the dust and dirt blowing around them obscured their vision. Clark bellowed as the ship began to vibrate, a loud pulsing buzz assailing their ears. The pulses throbbed with increasing frequency like contractions inside the womb. Three flashes of light followed before the ship parked itself firmly back on the ground and the dust began to settle.  
  
They all immediately ran towards Clark and desperately tried to revive him. His eyes slowly opened as he saw the faces of his friends and family looking down at him. Lana looked down at Clark's belly and promptly covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Clark's gaze followed hers - the unsightly bulge was gone. He shot up and looked around, wondering where his baby was - the others followed suit.  
  
Suddenly a loud metal clank was heard as the cockpit of the ship slowly opened. Sitting inside was a plump giggling baby, her head turning side to side, taking in her surroundings. There was a light glow from the cockpit window, making the hazy image of the child very angelic. Her skin was smooth, her eyes big, round, a hazel/green colour. She was strangely calm for a newborn, though her mouth was slightly open and drool dripped down the side of her mouth. Clark grasped Lana's hand as they ventured slowly toward their baby, their eyes locked on their daughter. She looked straight at them as if she knew and smiled a toothless grin. Martha and Jonathan hugged and Pete and Lex looked at each other with amazement.  
  
However, their joy quickly turned to fear and confusion. When they got within a foot of touching their newborn baby, Clark and Lana were thrust upon the ground by a powerful unseen force. Suddenly the ship began to power up once again. The group stopped celebrating as a short, loud screech permeated the air, causing everyone to hold their ears. The ship rose off the ground and began to waver from side to side. Baby Kent looked back at them one last time before the cockpit closed on top of her and the ship began to turn away and up toward the sky. The ship began to hum once again.  
  
"NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" they all screamed as the unthinkable occurred. The ship stayed still for what seemed like an eternity as the hum became more and more deafening - the vibrations shook the ground, causing shockwaves in the earth before shooting up into the sky and disappearing behind the clouds with a thunderous roar. They looked up at the sky, mouths agape, tears in their eyes, disbelief in their minds and undaunting anguish in their hearts.  
  
Lex's pager went off, but in their reverie, no one noticed and if they did, they would not have cared. All their hope in the world had just evaporated into the night sky. Lex looked down at his pager display and saw three simple words. "It is done." He sank to the ground, his tears cascading even more as he clasped his head in his hands.  
  
*****  
  
Thirty miles away on the highway leading to Metropolis, a single black limousine sat parked on the shoulder. Its windows broken, its seats and occupants soaked with blood. The driver lay slumped against the wheel, his passenger reclining in the backseat, his hair defiled a deep shade of crimson. Lionel Luthor swallowed painfully and whispered, "Lex...." before gasping his last breath.  
  
*****  
  
THE END 


End file.
